We binge on comedy for breakfast and drama for lunch, Netflix says

Iain Lynn

Netflix viewers are most likely to turn to comedy shows at breakfast, dramas in their lunch break and documentaries in the small hours, according to new data released by the streaming service.

Users around the world are a third (34%) more likely to choose shows such as The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and How I Met Your Mother at around 6am than at any other point in the day, while v iewership of dramas such as Mad Men, Orange Is The New Black and Bloodline surges between noon and 2pm, with nearly half (47%) of all users opting for something more serious during their lunch break.

Netflix analysed six months of streaming data from 22 countries around the world including the UK, Argentina, Brazil, India, New Zealand and the US to mark four years since the first series of political drama House of Cards was released in one go on the streaming service in 2013, changing the way millions of people consume television.

The series ushered in a new era of what is now known as "bingeable" TV, when viewers can consume a whole series in one sitting.

The data showed the evening is the time most subscribers opt for thrillers such as Stranger Things, Breaking Bad and The OA, with viewership of the genre increasing by a quarter (27%) by 9pm, but that number plummets by 11pm, when they are far more likely to revert back to comedies such as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Master Of None and Bojack Horseman.

Some 15% of all streaming happens between midnight and 6am and night owls are the most likely to tune in to a documentary, with viewership of factual programmes such as Chef's Table, Making A Murderer and Planet Earth increasing 24% in that time period, the research found.

Cindy Holland, vice president of original content at Netflix, said: "For years, our lives had to fit around television. Now it's the other way around.

"We've given consumers control and it's interesting to see the behaviours that emerge when viewers aren't tied to a schedule. And even more so to see that these routines are replicated by millions the world over."

Series five of House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, will stream on Netflix on May 30.